The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Immortal Spud Thief
Summary: Oneshot. Harry reads 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' to try and get his son to sleep.


"Daddy read?" one and a half year old Darius asked Harry as he put his son to bed "Pwease?"

Harry turned round from where he was closing the curtains and tucking them into the radiator and nodded at the small child.

"Of course I can" he chuckled as Darius grinned and held up a book for him. Harry walked over and sat on the bed next to his son and Darius moved closer to him allowing Harry to wrap his arm around the young boy and pull him closer as he took the book from him. "In the light of the moon" Harry started to read and Darius reached over to clutch his toy wolf closer to him. "A little egg lay on a leaf. One Sunday morning, the warm sun came up and pop!" Darius laughed slightly when Harry punctuated this word more than the others and Harry chuckled before continuing "out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. He started to look for some food. On Monday, he ate through one apple"

"Mmm" Darius interrupted and Harry glanced at his son and laughed

"Do you like apple?" Harry asked, he obviously knew the answer but asked it anyway.

Darius nodded eagerly and grinned

"Apple is yummy" Darius grinned and patted the book again "Daddy"

Harry turned back to the book and continued to read

"But he was still hungry"

"Greedy caterpillar" Darius whispered and Harry smiled to himself.

"On Tuesday he ate through two Pears"

"Don't like Pears" Darius told Harry who sighed dramatically and shook his head

"Pears are yummy" he defended them and poked his son in the tummy making the boy laugh loudly and try to move away but Harry held him tightly against him.

"You're meant to be calming him down" came a female voice from the doorway and Harry looked up to see Nikki standing there with a smile on her face.

"Mummy come read" Darius called and held his arms out for her. Nikki couldn't resist a hug from her son and walked over to wrap her arms around him "Sit" he patted the bed next to him and Nikki did as her son asked, wrapping one arm around him and playing with his hair.

"What are we reading?" Nikki asked and Harry showed her the front of the book

"The very hungry caterpillar" Harry replied and grinned at her "Can I continue?"

"Of course you can" Nikki replied and leant back against the headboard, Darius snuggling into her more.

"On Tuesday he ate through two Pears. But he was still hungry" Harry continued "On Wednesday he ate through three plums"

"Plums?" Darius asked Nikki

"Those purple ones" Nikki replied and Darius nodded when he remembered and Harry started to read again.

"but he was still hungry. On Thursday he ate through four strawberries"

"But he was still hungry" he and Darius said at the same time causing the little boy to giggle loudly and his parents to laugh.

"Well done" Nikki nodded and pressed a kiss to the year and a half year olds head.

"Oh Friday he ate his way through five oranges. But he was _still_ hungry"

"Emmy always hungry" Darius said suddenly and both pathologists chuckled "because she baby?"

"That's right" Harry nodded "You were always hungry when you were a baby"

"Weally?" Darius asked and yawned loudly

"I think you should sleep now little man" Harry told their son but the boy shook his head and lay it on Nikki's stomach before yawning again.

"Finish story daddy"

"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lolly pop, one piece of cherry pie" Harry paused for breath then continued "one sausage, one cupcake and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache"

"Poor caterpillar" Darius mumbled as he closed his eyes slightly and shifted closer to Nikki "Have hug from his mummy and daddy, make him feel better"

Harry and Nikki looked at each other and chuckled at their son's reply and Nikki nodded at him to continue.

"The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate his way through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better. Now he wasn't hungry anymore. And he wasn't a little caterpillar anymore. He was a _big _fat caterpillar" Harry absentmindedly reached down and played with a strand of his son's brown hair as he continued to read "He built himself a small house called a cocoon, around himself. He stayed inside for more than two weeks. Then, he nibbled a hole in the cocoon and pushed his way out and he was a beautiful butterfly"

When Darius didn't reply he looked down and saw him asleep, his head resting on Nikki's stomach.

"He's asleep?" Nikki mouthed quietly to her husband who nodded and reached over to put the book on the bedside table before reaching down and moving their son so he was laying on the bed and covered him with his duvet. "Your voice is very soothing"

"So I've been told" Harry replied as he leant over and kissed Nikki on the lips and took her hand in his before leading them both out of the room.

* * *

**It had to be done after watching Emilia and Tom on Cbeebies reading the bedtime stories..was I the only one who felt sleepy after listening to Emilia talking? She has such a soothing voice. lol!**

**xxx**


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